Matthew 28:18-20 – New
International Version (NIV) – The Great Commission
18 “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. 19 Therefore
go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and
teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you
always, to the very end of the age.”
Accusations and
Acknowledgement
Matthew 27:11-26 –
New International Version (NIV)
11 “Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor
asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“You
have said so,” Jesus replied.
12 When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he
gave no answer. 13 Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the
testimony they are bringing against you?” 14 But Jesus made no
reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.
15 Now it was the governor’s custom at the festival to release
a prisoner chosen by the crowd. 16 At that time they had a
well-known prisoner whose name was Jesus Barabbas. 17 So when
the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, “Which one do you want me to release
to you: Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called the Messiah?” 18 For
he knew it was out of self-interest that they had handed Jesus over to him.
19 While Pilate was sitting on the judge’s seat, his wife sent
him this message: “Don’t have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have
suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.”
20 But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to
ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
21 “Which of the two do you want me to release to you?” asked
the governor.
“Barabbas,”
they answered.
22 “What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called the
Messiah?” Pilate asked.
They
all answered, “Crucify him!”
23 “Why? What crime has he committed?” asked Pilate.
But
they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that
instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of
the crowd. “I am innocent of this man’s blood,” he said. “It is your
responsibility!”
25 All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our
children!”
26 Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged,
and handed him over to be crucified.”
Who did Jesus
stand before (verse 11)?
In your opinion,
why was Jesus ask “are you the king of
the Jews” (verse 11)?
Who accused Jesus (verse 12)?
How did Jesus
amaze the governor (verses 12 - 14)?
What was the
governor’s custom “at the festival”
(verse 15)?
Who was the “well-known prisoner” (verse 16)?
What did Pilate
ask the crowd (verse 17)?
What did Pilate
know about the chief priests and elders (verse 18)?
Who sent Pilate
the message “don’t have anything to do
with that innocent man” (verse 19)?
In your opinion,
why did the crowd listen to the chief priests and elders persuasion (verse 20)?
How did the crowd
respond to the question “which of the two
do you want me to release to you” (verse 21)?
What did the crowd
want to happen to Jesus (verse 22)?
In your opinion,
why did Pilate’s attempt to reason with the crowd just result in them shouting “all the louder” (verse 23)?
What did Pilate do
to demonstrate that he did not approve of what was happening (verse 24)?
Who did Pilate
pass responsibility to (verse 24)?
In your opinion,
why did the people answer “His blood is
on us and on our children” (verse 25)?
What happened to
Barabbas (verse 26)?
What happened to
Jesus (verse 26)?
In your opinion, what is the basic
message of this passage?
1 Samuel 8:6-20 - New
International Version (NIV)
6 “But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this
displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord.
7 And the Lord
told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they
have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. 8 As they
have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking
me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. 9 Now
listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will
reign over them will claim as his rights.”
10 Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He
said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights:
He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and
they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign
to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his
ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and
equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to
be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of
your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He
will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his
officials and attendants. 16 Your male and female servants and
the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He
will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When
that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but
the Lord will not answer you in
that day.”
19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said.
“We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other
nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”
What did Samuel do
when the people displeased him by asking for a king (verse 6)?
Who did the Lord say that the people were
rejecting (verse 7)?
How long had the people of Israel forsaken
God and served other gods (verse 8)?
In your opinion, why did God want Samuel
to “let them know what the king who will
reign over them will claim as his rights” (verse 9)?
What did Samuel tell the people that the
king will claim (verses 10-17)?
How will the Lord respond when the day
comes that the people of Israel cry out for relief from the king they have
chosen (verse 18)?
How did the people respond to Samuel
(verse 19)?
Who did the people want to be like (verse
20)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message
of this passage?
In your opinion, knowing that in 1 Samuel
8:6-20 the people rejected the Lord as their king what does it tell you about
the people who were listening to Pilate in 27:11-26 when he recognized that Jesus might be the
King of the Jews and they responded to his offer to release Jesus with shouts
of “Crucify him”?
Acts 5:27-32 –
New International Version (NIV)
27 “The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the
Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you
strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled
Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s
blood.”
29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God
rather than human beings! 30 The God of our ancestors raised
Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31 God
exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring
Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. 32 We are
witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to
those who obey him.”
Who were the
apostles “brought in and made to appear
before” (verse 27)?
What did the high priest do (verse 27)?
In your opinion, why did the high priest
think that the apostles were “determined
to make us guilty of this man’s blood” (verse 28)?
How did “Peter and the other apostles” state their priorities (verse 29)?
Who raised Jesus from the dead (verse 30)?
Who killed Jesus “by hanging him on a cross” (verse 30)?
Why did God exalt “him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior” (verse 31)?
Who are the witnesses (verse 32)?
Who is the Holy Spirit given to (verse
32)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message
of this passage?
In your opinion, how does the Lord who
told the people of Israel in 1 Samuel 8:6-20 that He would not answer them when
they cried for relief from the king, do something much greater in exalting
Jesus “to his own right hand as Prince
and Savior” according to Acts 5:27-32?
In your opinion, what does it say about
the Sanhedrin, who had lead the people in front of Pilate to shout “His blood is on us and our children” in
Matthew 27:11-26, were now ready to punish the apostles because they were “determined to make us guilty of this man’s
blood” in Acts 5:27-32?
Philippians 2:1-11
– New International Version (NIV)
1 “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united
with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit,
if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete
by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one
mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not
looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same
mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.”
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.”
What does Paul say
that we should do if we have any encouragement, comfort, tenderness and
compassion from “being united with
Christ” (verses 1 and 2)?
How should we value others (verse 3)?
When should we “have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (verse 5)?
In your opinion, how hard would it be “being in very nature God” and not use
it to our own advantage (verse 6)?
What did Jesus make himself (verse 7)?
How did Jesus humble Himself (verse 8)?
Where did God exalt Jesus to (verse 9)?
What name did God give Jesus (verse 9)?
What will happen “at the name of Jesus” (verse 10)?
Which tongue will “acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord” (verse 11)?
In your opinion, what is the basic message
of this passage?
In your opinion, how
would you choose if you were given the choice the apostles were given between
obeying the Jesus that Paul testifies to in Philippians 2:1-11 and the high
priest of Acts 5:27-32 who was running from responsibility for the blood that
he had earlier said would be on he and his children?
In your opinion, what does it say about us
as humans that we continually make the choice of the Israelites of 1 Samuel
8:6-20 to “be like all the other” people
instead of worshipping the one who Paul says in Philippians 2:1-11 “humbled himself by becoming obedient
to death—even death on a cross”?
In your opinion, how
do we deal with the intimidation of being instructed by Paul in Philippians
2:1-11 to have a mind like Christ and a love like Christ, who stood before
Pilate and the chief priests and elders and did not answer, and then submitted
to flogging and crucifixion in Matthew 27:11-26?
In your opinion, what do these passages,
from Matthew, 1 Samuel, Acts and Philippians show us about the Great
Commission?
